


I feel your heart beat (like the beat of the drums)

by trashystories



Series: if you could only know, I’d never let you go [1]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alex needs a hug, Couch Cuddles, Dancing, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Julie and Alex bonding, M/M, Nail Polish, One Shot, Panic Attacks, Platonic Cuddling, Short & Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, alex deserves better, and he gets one, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:28:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26641468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trashystories/pseuds/trashystories
Summary: Alex can’t seem to shake the loneliness that envelops him in Willie’s absence. Lucky for him, his family are here to save the day.ORAlex and Julie spend some much needed bonding time together, and then the whole family watches a movie together.
Relationships: Alex & Julie Molina, Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex & Luke Patterson & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex & Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina & Luke Patterson, Julie Molina & Ray Molina, Julie Molina & Reggie, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Ray Molina & Reggie
Series: if you could only know, I’d never let you go [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938217
Comments: 45
Kudos: 807





	I feel your heart beat (like the beat of the drums)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!!! This show is my most recent obsession and, therefore, the only logical thing to do is create a new series based on song lyrics!! Alex is such a sweetheart and my heart really aches for him so he’s up first! I haven’t actually proofread any of this I hope it doesn’t suck and autocorrect doesn’t let me down.

Alex was prone to anxiety.

When he was alive, panic attacks were a common occurrence, increasing intensity after coming out to his parents. Unfortunately, the afterlife didn’t provide him with a much needed break, instead throwing him into stressful situations every chance it got. 

After the whole debacle with Caleb, Alex hoped things would return to somewhat normality - at least in the sense where he wasn’t faced with possible extinction, and instead could focus on the band, his newfound solidness, and his complicated relationship with Willie. 

Relationship? Could he even call whatever they had that? Willie was always so sweet to him, so patient and careful, and he brought out the best in Alex. But after helping land their gig at the Orpheum, and their heartfelt goodbye, he hadn’t seen him since. 

He missed him. He really did. 

Of course, all his bandmates ( _family_ ) had noticed. Luke and Reggie offer their support in any way they can, whether it be lighthearted jokes when Alex was down, or companionable silence as they spent endless nights searching the streets of Hollywood for him. But, alas, Alex knew they had their own problems to sort out. They couldn’t dedicate all their time to helping Alex. 

The focused on the band, a collective goal, but they also focused on working out their own demons that had haunted them since their final breath. 

For Reggie, he spent a lot of time with Ray, now he was visible, and worked on building a father presence in his _after_ life that had been absent for years too long. 

For Luke, he spent most of free time, when he wasn’t stealing moments with Julie, with his parents. Slowly, yet surely, building back the relationships that had been left shattered for the years since their last blowout. 

Alex couldn’t take that time away from them, so tonight, he announced that he wanted to rest, and perhaps catch up on some pop culture he had missed, silently giving his brothers the opportunity to go and do their own thing, which they did. 

In their absence, he noted his loneliness with what resembled a sense of resigned sadness. Sooner or later, he would need to let Willie go. If he didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t be found. 

A sob worked its way out of his body before he could even catch himself, and he pressed his fists hard against his eyes, a technique he learned which, although wasn’t subtle, would more often than not stop the tears from flowing. 

In his panicked state, where his breaths rapidly increased, his vision blurred and his hands started shaking, he didn’t realise he wasn’t alone until two hands slowly guided his own away from his face, and he was being pulled forward and down into a soft embrace. 

Julie. 

She was whispering soft assurances that he couldn’t quite hear as she let his hands grab fistfuls of her shirt, rubbing small circles along his shoulder blades.

After a moment, she gently guided them to the couch, slowly raising his hand to her neck, letting him feel her pulse. 

It might have been weird to any onlooker, him feeling her pulse whilst in the midst of a panic attack, but strangely enough it calmed him down. To know that she was breathing, alive and warm in front of him, and that perhaps he’d be okay. 

Once his breathing had even out she shifted slightly, so his head was resting on her shoulder, and she reached out to the drawer beside the couch, returning with pink nail polish in her hand. 

Softly, she lifted his hands and painted his nails, not speaking, but humming softly the tune to _stand tall_ , a familiar sound that helped him relax as much as he could. 

Once she had finished, they wordlessly swapped, and he started painting her nails too, smiling at the simplicity of it all. 

Julie truly was the sister he never got to have. 

After both their hands were dry, she moved to get up, pulling him with her. 

“Sooo, since Reggie’s out with Dad and Carlos at the beach, and Luke’s with Emily, I’m thinking that we better not waste this bonding time, right?”

He chuckled softly, “right.”

“Okay, meet back here in like five minutes - but get changed into something you can move in!”

He threw her an odd look as she raced out the door, presumably to get changed herself, but did as he was told, leaving himself in a faded pink tank top and a pair of Luke’s old basketball shorts. 

True to her word, after five minutes she returned, clad in a sports tank and sports pants, a pair of sneakers to match. 

She reached out and grabbed his arm, linking hers with his, as they left the house, explaining that she already called an Uber that was waiting out the front. 

He nodded along, not entirely knowing what an uber was, and not knowing why they were getting into some strangers car, but deciding not to question it. 

After a short car ride, where her hand stayed constantly linked with his, they thanked the driver and were deposited into the street, right in front of a studio that read _Hollywood Dance_. 

She pulled a key from her purse, and after unlocking, then locking the door, dragged him up the stairs until they were in a room with mirrors for walls and a smooth wooden floor. 

“Wha-What are we doing here?”

He was kinda amazed. He really, really loved dancing, but he didn’t actually think anyone took notice of that. 

Julie wandered over to the stereo, inserting a CD and pressing play before making her way back over to him, twisting her body to the music as she reached out and grabbed his hands. 

“Alex... will you dance with me?”

He laughed at how dramatic she was, getting down on one knee as though she was proposing. Inwardly though, Julie was beating herself up over the song choice. 

Die Young by Ke$ha was echoing around the room. 

He didn’t seem to take notice though, and lifted her up, nodding along to the beat. 

When the lyrics came, Julie sang along. 

“I hear your heart beat to the beat of the drums”

She did her best impression of Alex on the drums, which made him almost fall over laughing. 

“Let’s make the most of the night like we’re gonna die young”

He stiffened at the lyrics, but quickly became entranced by the song again, moving his feet and doing crazy arm movements. 

“Looking for some trouble tonight”

Julie was on the ground, one knee propped up as she rolled toward him. Picking up on the lyrics, he joined in, offering his hand out to her which she gladly took. 

“Take my hand I’ll show you the wild side”

They jumped about, occasionally running into each other, as they let the music take over them. 

He didn’t know what came over him, and he found himself wondering how his night had changed for the better so quickly, pure joy overcoming him. 

He and Julie moved their bodies fluidly, and she bounced over to him and he grabbed her and spun her around, and she then did the same to him.

By the end of the song, the two’s voices were hoarse from screaming the lyrics and out of breath, but the playlist continued, and thus, so did their dancing session. 

Looking at her, as they held hands and laughed and screamed as they ran in a circle, he realised he truly lucked out. This girl had dedicated her entire night to making him feel less alone, and he loved her so much for that. 

Abruptly, he pulled her close to him, just holding her and she smiled, and held on just as tight. 

Her phone rang in the background, breaking up the moment, and she realised that it was almost midnight. 

She answered her dad quickly, apologising for not realising the time and promising that she was just out with Alex, where Alex cut in and said that they would return right away. 

Once the call finished, they caught eyes with each other, and dissolved into hysterical laughter. 

The laughter did not stop during the ride home, where Alex was sure the driver must’ve thought they were insane, and even as they made their way to the living room, which was all lit up for some reason, the laughter did not die down. 

Luke and Reggie were perched on the sofa, Ray standing behind them and looking at the two expectantly. The worried looks on all three’s faces morphed into quiet confusion at the joyous display, which only sent Julie and Alex into more fits of giggles. 

Wisely, Ray chose to ignore it, trusting his daughter, and understanding the difficult time Alex was having. Instead, he gestured to a mountain of snacks on the table. 

“I hope you two aren’t tired, we thought it’s a good a night as any for a movie night.”

They shared a look before jumping onto the couch with everyone; Ray at one end, his hand softly carding through Reggie’s hair, Alex with his fingers intertwined with Reggie’s, Julie, who had Alex’s head resting on her shoulder whilst she leant into Luke’s chest, perched at the other end of the couch. 

Ray shared a look with Julie as he pressed play, and soon the opening of Love, Simon, was playing. 

Alex’s breath caught in his throat as he realised what the plot of the movie was, and his eyes welled with tears at how accepting the world had become. His grip tightened on Reggie’s hand, who squeezed back in return, and julie reached out to take his other hand. From across the couch, Luke rested his arm behind Alex’s head as Ray reached over to ruffle Alex’s hair good-naturedly. 

Not once did his eyes leave the screen. 

It was well into the early morning when the movie was finished, Ray excusing himself half way through to head to bed, and Julie herself was asleep but the time the end credits rolled by. 

Gently Luke nudged her awake, jokingly asking if she was tired. She nodded, but instead of heading to her room, she headed out to the studio with the boys, her hand linked with Alex’s the whole time. 

Alex smiled down at her half-asleep state. Even when she wasn’t fully aware, she didn’t want to leave him alone. 

They all squished into the old double pull out mattress, Luke on one end, hand in Alex’s hair as he pressed his body against Julie’s own as she basically laid on top of Alex. Reggie was on the other side of Alex, wrapping his legs with his bandmates and reaching out to pull the group closer. 

And as Alex’s eyes drifted closed, for the first time in a long time, he felt less alone. 

He knew no matter what, he had his family, and together, they would work anything out. 

**Author's Note:**

> Congrats for finishing the story, I love you!! To add, I don’t actually know any of you, but I hope you’re all doing okay, and if things aren’t going amazing, that they get better! Don’t forget to keep going, because there’s a whole lotta people out there who love you. Proud of you all!!


End file.
